Nobody wants to see another boring charcuterie board. You need the correct mix of soft, hard, sweet, smokey, and interesting foods. Everyone has their favorite flavors and textures. When putting together a better board you need to think about just who will be eating it. The following brands mentioned below are all amazing choices when it comes to charcuterie. Here are the important items to put on a charcuterie board, grouped so it feels balanced but beautiful and bold:
Cheeses- look to pick from each section
- Soft: Cypress Grove Meyer Lemon & Honey goat cheese, Vermont Creamery Bijou goat cheese, Marin French Petite Truffle goat cheese, Mettle Meadow Honey Lavender Goat Cheese, Castello Danish Brie, Sequatchie Cove Creamery Walden, Jouvenceau Goat Camembert
- Semi-firm: Artikaas Youngsters Creamy Gouda, Cowgirl Creamery Hop Along, Athenos Feta
- Hard/sharp: Wood River Creamery Aged Cheddar, Bel Gioioso Parmesan, Emmi Gruyère, Clawson Farms Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries & Orange Marmalade, Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar
- Blue cheese: Clawson Blue Stilton Cheese, Castello Danish Blue 50+
Cured Meats- try a variety of flavors
- Fratelli Beretta 1812 Prosciutto and Fratelli Beretta Salame Milano
- Coro Sopressata and Coro Orange Cardamom Salami
- Smoking Goose Charcuterie Blackberry Duck Salami
- Rovagnati Mortadella or Bresaola
- Il Porcellino Salumi Rosette de Lyon Salami or Black Truffle Salami
- Short Creek Farm Fennel & Citrus Dry Salame
Crackers & Bread- use a variety of textures and sizes
- Rustic Bakery Organic Sourdough Fatbread
- Little Latke Potato Crisps
- Baguette slices
- Croots Snacking Croutons
- Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps
Fruits & Veggies- adds color and cuts calories
- Sliced fried green tomatoes, sliced peppers in different colors, or mushroom caps
- Sliced apples or pears
- Figs and dates
- Dried apricots and fresh berries
Briny Items & Salty- this adds color to the board
- Garden Fresh Olives
- Belveder Cornichons or mini pickles
- Belveder Sweet Pickled red peppers
- Fairway Stuffed Olives
Sweets and Savory Spreadable- adds additional flavors & can cut heat
- Noble Orange Blossom Honey
- Jam PackD with Blueberries
- Bonne Maman Apricot preserves
- Braswell’s Fig Preserve
- Cliff Family Red Wine Jelly with Cracked Pepper
- Bone Suckin’ Mustard
Crunchy Extras- to add texture
- Southern Straws Cheese Straws
- Hudson Pecan Sweet Heat
- Blue Mountain Pecans
- Old Fashion Southern Yum Pecan Brittle and Honey Roasted Gourmet Cashews
Total “wow” Additions- to bring excitements
- Bixby Dark Chocolate
- Savanah Bee Honey Colm
- Schaller & Webber Weisswurst or Uncured Andouille Sausage slices
- Double Chocolate Baby Brownie by Fat Witch New York
- Tarragon or basil to garnish
A good rule of thumb in creating a beautiful charcuterie board: include 3-4 cheeses, 2–3 meats, 1–2 spreads, something crunchy, 2 carbs, something fresh, something WOW, and something briny/salty. Also. replace items that are gobbled up. If you follow the above brands and advice, nobody should become bored with your board!
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